On Saturday, Pope Francis traveled to the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with refugees who have fled war and poverty in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries. Refugees living in Lesbos described dire conditions on the island.

Ahmed: “In Moria camp, it’s like Guantánamo, because it’s very hard. The life is very hard here. The policemen are very good. The people here are very good. But the situation are very bad, very hard. We are like in jail. You feel yourself like in jail.”

Pope Francis called on European nations to do more to help refugees fleeing war.

Pope Francis: “To be truly united with those forced to flee their homelands, we need to eliminate the causes of this dramatic situation. It is not enough to limit ourselves to responding to emergencies as they arise. Instead, we need to encourage political efforts that are broader in scope and multilateral. It is necessary, above all, to build peace where war has brought destruction and death, and to stop this scourge from spreading.”

At the end of his trip, Pope Francis took three families of Syrian refugees, including six children, aboard his flight to Rome. He said, “It’s a small gesture, but one which we all need to offer to give a helping hand to those in need!”